Labor day weekend

[DavidF]

Hey all,

I'm hoping to get down south next weekend and I have a few options open to me. One of them is the Jacks Fork. I've never been on it before so I'm wondering what it could be like over the holiday weekend. If I do it, I'll be looking at Alley Springs to Two Rivers. Is it like the other Ozark rivers and full of canoes? How's the fly fishing? 

Thanks,

David

[Al Agnew]

Yep.  It'll be full of canoes, kayaks, and probably horseback riders.  Alley Spring to Eminence isn't all that great fishing...too cold for good smallmouth fishing, but no trout.  However, if you want to add chain pickerel to your life list of fish species, that's a good stretch to fish.  Eminence to Two Rivers can be surprisingly good smallmouth fishing, along with more pickerel.  Unless conditions change, it will be very clear.

[DavidF]

Thanks, Al. How about the upper section? You reckon it's floatable for a lightly packed solo kayak? 

[TroutRinger]

1 hour ago, Al Agnew said:

Yep.  It'll be full of canoes, kayaks, and probably horseback riders.  Alley Spring to Eminence isn't all that great fishing...too cold for good smallmouth fishing, but no trout.  However, if you want to add chain pickerel to your life list of fish species, that's a good stretch to fish.  Eminence to Two Rivers can be surprisingly good smallmouth fishing, along with more pickerel.  Unless conditions change, it will be very clear.

While I agree with your assessment of those two sections of river having fished from Alley to Two Rivers probably 12-15 times, I caught the largest smallmouth of my life on the first cast in the first hole below Alley. I didn't have a tape measure but it was as long as the canoe paddle blade (literally).